Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-08
TEXAS LAND LAWS.
The State Legislature Confronted with
the First Serious Destftuti0n
Ever Known In Texas.
We Should Lean to the National Policy
and not Try to Squeeze the Most
Money Out OF Our Lands.
MEMPHIS, TENN, Jan. l, 1857.

MEMPHIS, TENN, Jan. /, 1887,
TO the Editor of the Gazette.
This is one of a series of letters which
l intend writing in the interest of the
people of Western Texas. The ever-re-
curing land question is up again. The
important subject of the lease law l shall
not discuss, because it has able cham
pions on either side, who need no volun-
teers. l cannot, however, forbear say
ing lust here that it is beneath the dig
nifty and compromising the honor of
Texas to exact high rent from the law
abiding and let the law-defying go free
and use at will that for which another is
taxed. In addition to the usual diff
ticuIties, the legislature will be con-
fronted with the first serious
destitution known in Texas. She
has had protracted wars and continued
drouths heretofore, but her teeming
stores have always swelled up, above
such calamlities, and poured their boun-
ties out in spite of such calamities; but
not so now, and We may draw there
from" political lesson, to he hereafter
considered. Your readers viii remem
Der that in letter from ST. Louis to the
Fort Worth GAZETTE spurred the state
and the people thereof for letting non
residents be solicited for aid, when the
state and fortunate people thereof could
have met sthe demands of the suffering.
The generous people at home and abroad
responded nobly to the calls of the suf
fering, and the West sent gale of
thanks. The state itself has done moth
ing as such. The worst time has not
come yet. The rigid winter and spring
seed time are yet to come. Many, very
many industrious, frugal people from
sheer force of unfriendly clements and
the iron rule Of the ipso facto in the act
of 1888, as construed by the state au-
thOTites, have suffered the forfeiture of
their lands. The Legislature is powerless
to relieve in this regard, on account Of q
SAVAGE provision in the constitution,
which provision would be more at home
in the Blue Laws of Connecticut than in
the constitution OF Texas.
Whatever may have been the object of
such clause, it has defeated itself. If
temporary relief, in the shape of time,
could have been granted, all the interest
on these lands could have been saved;
but now a large loss will be sustained.
No soulless corporation, no Shylock
power, full of biting avarice, can draft
contract to forfeit property, covered by a
lien which equity will not relieve against
and decree sale. But the state is doing
what she will not let others do, and as
the law stands construed, she is the most
relentless of creditors to her
poor debtors, whilst the great,
in some portions, defy her demands
at will, and, heretofore, with impuni-
ty. Were it,not for generous ruling of
the land board, we would now be witness
ing wholesale evicti0ns mot of renters,
but of those who believe themselves land
lords, such as would shame the Tory
party of England operating in | Gland;
not, however, as in Ireland, the evicted
carving away all that was theirs, for the
evicted here leave behind all the accumu-
latlons of labor and toll of years, and the
sacred eudearments of home. VIII the
legislature of Texas send geeting across
the ocean, sweet sounding resolutions of
coincidence to the Ireland of the East and
forget the Ireland of the West.
Whilst the legislature is powerless to
relieve the purchaser, it is potent TO
make temporary relief in food supply and
TO provide against such calamities as may
arise under future sales before the sales
are made The destitute are almost en-
tirely purchasers of state lands and many
are now tenants at will. They are not
mendicants, but the very best of citizens,
who will not starve; for that bold energy
which carried them across the danger
line in quest of homes, will carry them
back if need be. They, as well as almost
the entire population OF Texas, believe
the rain will increase from settlement and
cultivation alone, the writer holding the
contrary. which we will discuss hereafter.
| will for the present sink my views be-
meath the mountain of public opinion
contrarYwise and consider it settled in
Texas that such Is the case. Then, are
not these people the greatest bene-
factorS-greater than the rich, who
consume, but do not create. Can the
old-time Texans, who themselves enjoyed
in their now old but once new country
such blessings as never before fell, nor
ever y i'll fall again, to the lot of man,
and who now enjoy their own cultured
homes which they got for mere taking,
consent that half the state, with soil as
as rich nS their own black lands, wanting
in nothing but rain, shall remain subject
to the tread of the herd whilst their own
sons and daughters 60 tramping around
seeking q job from the rich-homeless in
the great prairie ocean of Texas, especial
" when they hold tenaciouSly the doctrine
that the West will get abundant
rain after settlement maintained and
continued? Can the state, with millions
of lands to sell, ignoring that high re-
gard which all enlightened governm ants
entertain for the destitute within their
realms-scoutiug all idea of doing gen.
erous and noble ng-contemning all
thought of gratitude toward those who
courageously crossed the one hundredth
parallel, known as the "dead line," be-
yond which no granger was ever supposed
IT, go-looking to their own and the pub
lie good and putting it on mean self de-
tense alone-can she afford to let the tide
of settlement fall back? To do so would
send back the tide OF living, laboring
masses and bring back again the cloven-
foot-to do so, would destroy all market
for the lands except from those who wish
to reside in splendor abroad, and would
doom the West to nomsdic, Arsbian-like,
homeless wilds, from which the great
shieks could draw their revenues. If she
wishes TO avoid this she can prevent it by
3 liberal appropriation with abundant
safeguards to prevent fraud-or the coun-
ties eau &c authorized by Law 10 bestow
the aid. There are no constitutions in
hibitions 20 either of these plans. This
done and liberal legislation pro-
yided for future sales, allowing to